Stairway-block and stairways made therefrom



F. E. WALTERS.

STAIRWAY BLOCK'AND STAIRWAYS MADE THEREFROM. APFLICATION FILED OCT. 15. l9l9.

1;37o,78. Patented M -8, 1 1

I %a Fzg 7 ////////////////A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC.

STAIRWAY-BLOCK AND STAIRWAYS MADE THEBEFBOM. i

Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

Application filed October 16, 1919. Serial No. 330,973.

To all whom it may concm Be it known that 1, FRANK E. WALTERs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the County of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certa n new and useful Stairway-Block and Starways Made Therefrom; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as w1 ll enable others skilled in the art to whch lt appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyng drawngs, and to the characters oi reference marked thereon, which form a part of ths specification.

My invention has for its ob ect to provide a stairway block or step tormed of hardened reinforced plastic material such as cement. Blocks or steps made in accordance with my invention are so formed that they may be made individually, that is, apart from the formation of the stairway, and then may be assemblcd to form a stairway. This provides a great advantage in the Construction of stairways inasmuch as any number of blocks may be made in a mold and then assembled to form the stairway where ordinarily it requires the formation of a supporting structure for the plastc material while it is hardening and in positions that are often difiicult to construct. Moreover, shrinkage of monolithic stairways often produces Cracks and consequently weakness of the stairway when finally constructed. By my invention is provided a block or step that is so constructed and reinforced that a number of steps may be abutted at opposite edges and thus form a light weight though strong and durable stairway.

Furthermore my invention provides a starway formed of a plurality of blocks that are so reinforced and supported that the blocks may be easily assembled to form a strong and efficent stairway. 0

The invention may be contained in stairways of different forms. For purposesof illustration I have selected a Construction containing the invention and shall descrbe it hereinafter, it being understood that the details may be varied by those skilled in the art and structures so formed may still contain the invention@ The structure selected is illustrated in the accompanying drawigure 1 of the drawings illustrates a In the drawings l are blocks that form:

steps of the stairway. The blocks are formed of hardened plastic material such as suitable cement composition commonly used in concrete work. Each block l is provided with a riser portion 2 and a tread portion 3. The riser and tread portions of each block are connected together integrally with a plurality of webs 4 that are disposed in parallel relation and at suitable distances apart along the step, that s,- across the width of the stairway. lVhen assembled the webs of the blocks are placed in line so as to carry the strain through the webs from the topmost step to the bottommost step and the lower floor from which the stairway rises.

The upper and lower edges of each block or step are provided with rods 5 and 6 that eXtend across the stairway, that is, the length of the step. The rods 5 and 6 are connected together by a plurality of rods 7 that extend through the webs 4. A rod 8 is located near the corner formed by the riser and the tread portions of the stairway, and a reinforcing mesh 9 extends from the rod 8 to the rod 6 through the tread portion and from the rod 8 to the rod 5 through the riser portion. Thus each step is reinforced to withstand the ,strains to which it would i be subjected when supported' in the manner provided by my nvention as hereinafter described.

V A pair of channel rons 10 having fianges 11 extending toward 'each other form main supporting means of the stairway. The ends of the blocks or steps l may be inserted between the ends of the channel irons and between the flanges of the channel irons and then slid into position. Preferably the blocks are inserted between the upper ends of the channel rons and slid down until they come in contact with the next lower step or the lower floor from which the stairway rises. The ends of the blocks thus rest on the lower flanges 11 of the channel irons 10 and the blocks abut along the upper and lower edges, that is, the rear edges of the tread portions and the lower edges of the riser portions of the steps. The lower edge of the riser portion and the rear edge of the tread portion of each block are provided with inclined surfaces 12 and 13 that fit the inclined surfaces of the lower fianges 11 of the channel irons 10. The corner 14 of the step fits into the channel irons, particularly, the lower surfaces of the upper fianges of the channel irons, When the step is in position between the channel irons and thus the steps are securely held from buckling in the channel irons. The web portions 4 may also he made so that their lower edges are located above the plane of the upper surfaces of the lower fianges ll to give sufiicient clearance of the end webs of each step. Moreover the upper end lower edges of each step have abutting or beveled surfaces 16 that are located at right angles to the surfaces of the lower fianges of the channel irons and consequently are inclined with respect to the riserand tread .portions of the steps. The

step is thus provided with abutting and sup-j porting edge surfaces which, in conjunction with channel irons, securely interlock and support the steps'and form an exceedingly strong and durable stairway.

If desired the tread portions 3 may be provided with recesses that extend substantially the length of the steps and near the corner thereoi and in which may be located metallic strips such as lead strips 15 that prevent slipping to a material eXtent when the stairway is in nse; The Web 4 at each end of the step iscast with a hole so that it may be bolted to channels '10, or each web 4 may be cast with a hole so that a long bolt 17 may be passed through these webs and Channels and bolted on either end.

I claim l. In a block or step for stairways formed "of hardened plastic material, having riser and tread portions, the riser and tread portions having beveled outer surfaces and web portions interconnecting integrally the under and rear sides of the `treacl and riser portions respectively, reinforcing rods extending lengthwise through the step and web portions and rods eXtending transverse and through the step and web portions and Secured at their ends to the first named rods.

2. In a stairway, a plurality of blocks or steps formed of hardened plastic material, each of the blocks having a riser and tread portions, the riser and tread portions having beveled outer surfaces located at opposite corners of the block and adapted to abut the corresponding surfaces of the blocks placed in juxtaposition therewith in the stairway, each of the blocks having web portions interconnecting integrally the under and rear sides of the tread and riser portions respectively and located in alinenent With the Web portions of the blocks placed in juxtaposition therewith, and reinforoing rods eX- tending lengthwise and through the step and Web portions.

3. In a stairway, a plurality of blocks formed of hardened plastic material, the blocks having riser and tread portions, a

pair of parallel inclined channel irons having their flanges eXtending toward each other and located at opposite ends ofthe blocks, the flanges extending over and underneath the ends of the blocks for securing the blocks in position.

4. In a stairway, a pair of parallel inclined channel irons having their fianges eX- tending toward each other, a plnrality of steps formed of blocks, the blocks having beveled abuttng surfaces at the rear and upper corners of the blocks and at the lower and forward corners of the blocks, the ends of the blocks located in the Channels of the channel irons. V i V 5. In a stairway, a pair of parallel inclined channel irons having theirfianges ex tending toward each other, a plurality of steps formed of blocks of hardened plastic material having riser and tread portions,

the riser and* tread portions having beveled' outer surfaces located at the rear and npper corners of the blocks and 'at the front and lower corners of the blocks forming abutting surfaces between adjoining blocks, the ends of the blocks fitting between the fianges of the channel irons, the blocks having web portions formed integrally with the tread i portions and the riser portions of the blocks and located in alinenent with the web portions of the adjoining blocks. a g

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

FRANK E. WALTERS. 

